Desired Outcomes:Faculty
• Faculty will communicate high
expectations for student writing.
• Faculty will refer students to resources to
assist them with their writing.
• Faculty will hold students accountable for
improving their writing if it does not meet
the “Writing Matters” standards.
Desired Outcomes:Students
• Students will devote more time and effort
to their writing.
• Students will seek assistance to improve
their writing.
• Students will confirm the importance of
writing in their future.
• As a result, students will produce better
writing!
The Writing Matters Statement
Writing is an essential tool for thinking and
communicating in virtually every profession. Therefore,
in this course I expect you to produce writing that is not
only thoughtful and accurate, but also organized, clear,
and consistent with the rules of Standard English. If your
writing does not meet these standards, I may deduct
points or ask you to revise. For assistance with your
writing, go to the student section of the Writing Across
the Curriculum (WAC) website
(http://www.cetla.howard.edu/wac/students.aspx).
Participation
0% 50% 100% 150% 200% 250%
FA 2011
FA 2012
FA 2013
Pledging Faculty in the School of Social Work
100%
200%
214%
Research Questions
Implementation: How many instructors
implemented the Writing Matters practices
and, if so, how? How many students were
aware of the campaign?
Impact: How did the Writing Matters
Campaign influence students’ composing
processes? How important did the students
feel writing was in their future? According
to the faculty, did the quality of student
writing improve?
Methodology
• Faculty Survey: online, anonymous, via
SurveyMonkey
• Student Survey: online, anonymous, via
Blackboard, exit to raffle
• Response Period: Dec. 4–18, 2013
Faculty Sample
• 44% (19) of the School of Social
Work’s 43 part-time and full-time
instructors responded.
• Nearly all (95%) assigned at least
one paper per course; 63%, 3
papers; 37% assigned > 4 papers
(on average).
Student Sample
• 65% (128) of the 198 students who
enrolled in Social Work classes in Fall
2013 responded to the survey.
• 88% of the respondents indicated that they
were aware of the campaign, so this
analysis focuses on their responses. 3% of
these “aware” students said they had been
taking Social Work courses since 2010;
12% since 2011, 36%, since 2012, and
39%, in 2013.
ImplementationFaculty Survey
• 84% reported wearing a
button.
• 84% said they had
announced the
campaign in class.
• 74% said they had
included the Writing
Matters Statement in
their syllabi.
Implementation
• 78% reported seeing at least
1-2 instructors wearing a
button.
• 91% recalled hearing an
announcement by at least 1-
2 instructors; 58%, by at
least 3-4.
• 85% recalled seeing the
Writing Matters Statement
in syllabi from at least 1-2
instructors; 60%, from at
least 3-4.
Student Survey
ImplementationFaculty Survey
• All said that they
had communicated
their expectations
for student writing
more clearly since
joining the Writing
Matters Campaign;
53% said “much”
more clearly.
ImplementationStudent Survey
• 74% described their
instructors’ expectations
for student writing as
“high.”
ImplementationFaculty Survey
• 84% reported that they
had deducted points
more often.
• 53% had asked
students to revise poor
writing more often.
• 32% had referred
students to a tutor
more often.
• 58% had referred
students to writing
resources more often.
ImplementationStudent Survey
• 95% reported that at least 1-
2 instructors deducted points
for poor writing; 59%, at
least 3-4.
Impact
More than half of the students reported that they were
more likely to prepare a rough draft and solicit feedback
because of the Writing Matters Campaign.
Impact
More than two thirds of the students reported that they were more
likely to proofread because of the Writing Matters Campaign, but
less than a a third said they were more likely to seek assistance.
Impact
Half of the students reported that they spent more
time preparing papers because of the Writing
Matters Campaign, BUT…
…only 19% said they
had visited the WAC
website at least once.
?
Impact• 74% of the faculty reported that the
quality of student writing had improved
since they joined the campaign; the
remaining 26% were not sure.
Impact• 79% rated student writing in their
Writing Matters courses as proficient,
while 7% called it exemplary.
Impact
Faculty:
• “I have seen tremendous improvements
for our English-speaking students.”
• “It’s working!”
Students:
• 98% said writing was important in their
future, and 80% said writing was very
important.
• “Writing matters no matter what
courses you are taking.”
However…
• After joining the campaign, 58% of the
faculty visited the WAC website, and
63% consulted other writing resources,
BUT…
…only 11% attended a WAC workshop!
WAC Training
“Writing to Learn”
“Learning to Write”
“Handling the Paper Load”
• WAC Seminar: May 19-21 (9am – 12:30pm)
• WAC Online: August (TBA) and by request for
groups of >5
Contact
• Go to CETLA’s homepage
(http://www.cetla.howard.edu).
• Email questions to [email protected].